In America they’re calling it the fight of the decade. And as 2011 approaches Amir Khan stands alone as the man capable of dominating boxing for the next 10 years and beyond.

His thrilling, heart-stopping, palm-sweating, spine-tingling points victory over Marcos Maidana in the early hours of yesterday morning, answered every question that has been thrown at the 24-year-old from Bolton in his career so far – and posed a myriad more.

But rather than the brittle nature of the WBA light-welterweight champion’s chin or the suspicion that he was more hype than hope, the questions now revolve around just how far this extraordinary talent can go.

Can the man knocked cold by an unheard of Breidis Prescott just two years ago really become a pound-for-pound great?

Can his rise from chump to world champ in double-quick time lead to a superfight with Floyd Mayweather Jr as soon as next year?

And if so, what then? What other frontiers will there be to conquer with Khan still in his mid-20s? Let there be no mistake – Amir “King” Khan is the real deal. His coronation completed at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas with a performance of such style, such pomp and sheer drama that it will have made believers out of the most cynical of minds.

Whether it was the lightning fast combinations that brought to mind stablemate Manny Pacquiao, the foot speed reminiscent of Mayweather, or a chin that withstood Maidana’s heaviest blows, Khan looked every inch a bona fide superstar.

But fight fans don’t just want to see glorified sparring sessions – as have been the case with Pacquiao and Mayweather in recent times. They want to be taken on a thrill ride. Pushed to the edge before being pulled back at the last second – which is exactly what Khan gave them and is why he could become the most saleable asset in the sport for years to come.

This wouldn’t have been the fight of the decade if the vicious body blows that sent a writhing Maidana to the canvas in the first round had been enough to win the fight.

Nor would it if the ducking and diving, hit and move textbook stuff of the next five rounds had taken him to a comfortable points win.

No, Khan’s place in history was secured in the 10th when an explosive swinging right hook hit him flush on the jaw, distorting his face to the point he looked like he’d been hit by a cannonball.

It was every bit as brutal as anything dished out by Prescott – and while his legs went from under him, leaving him clinging on for dear life, there can be no more doubts about Khan’s ability to take a punch.

Pressure

He had to take several in that round alone, with more to come in the following two. But rather than buckling under the pressure, he regained his composure, found his feet and even threatened to finish with a knockout in the final stages.

His eventual unanimous win – two judges scoring 114-111 in his advantage, another 113-112 – flattered Maidana considering he was knocked down and had another point deducted in the fifth for an attempted elbow.

But that takes nothing away from Khan’s dominance against one of the most dangerous opponents in the division – or the belief that he has it in his powers to unify the light-welterweights when he meets the winner of Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley next year.

For Khan, it was final redemption for the Prescott defeat.

“I made a mistake in my past but I’m a different fighter now,” he said. “I’ve come back stronger than ever. I was hit by his best shots and I was still there.

“Everyone knows he’s a big puncher, he’s a big hitter. I went in there, a lot of people say ‘Amir has got no chin’. I got hit by his best shots and I came back stronger.

“He’s a warrior. He never took a step back. It just shows I’ve got a lion’s heart as well.

“At times I was hurt but I dug deep. That’s boxing for you – that’s why I sell out arenas and I’m such a great fighter.

“I fight with heart and I’ve got skill.

“We’re going the right way and I’m beating the best out there. I’m not taking short cuts.”

US promoter Golden Boy are certainly convinced Khan has the world at his feet.

Boss Oscar de la Hoya said: “He proved he’s not only a good champion but the best in the world at this weight.

“It was the fight of the decade. If there are any doubters about Amir after that, they can come and talk to me.

“He wants to fight the very best. He can clean up this division or move up and fight the very best.”

Trainer Freddie Roach – who also has Pacquiao in his stable – believes that should be Mayweather. He said: “If he cleans up the 140 pound division and goes to 147, Mayweather won’t fight Pacquiao but maybe he will fight Amir Khan.